The minibar and little snacks are a quintessential part of the hotel experience. But one Mandalay Bay guest was left feeling a little short-changed by their experience of these amenities.
While it has become more common for hotels to charge for bathroom amenities, it looks like this Las Vegas hotel is taking things one step further by charging people for moving snacks and not letting them use the fridge.
What Happened At This Las Vegas Hotel?
In the viral video, which has garnered 61,300 views, Ebony Bagley (@ebsknowsbest_) began, “I’m staying at the Mandalay Bay, and you all wanna see something crazy?”
She then panned the camera over to a tray of items, including two bottles of Fiji, two bottles of LIFE WTR, Pringles, what looks like two coffee kits, a phone charger, and a Temptation intimacy package.
A sign on the tray reads: “The minibar and snack tray are sensory activated.”
Bagley then reads the rest of the sign out loud.
“It says please scan the QR code for pricing and view your menu options,” she notes. “Charges will be applied to your room if any items are moved or touched.”
She then shared that she was worried she accidentally moved the phone charger, which she shows is “obviously crooked.”
This led to her calling the front desk. She says they said it was fine because she didn’t hold or touch it “for more than one minute.”
“Crazy work,” she remarks.
BroBible reached out to Bagley and MGM Resorts via email.
What About The Fridge?
To make matters worse, she can’t open the fridge: It is exclusively for hotel-provided items
The sign on the fridge reads: “We invite you to enjoy these selections from your in-room assortment, thoughtfully curated for your comfort and convenience during your stay. Any selected items will be automatically charged to your room once removed from the tray or minibar refrigerator.”
“So if you would like refrigerated space for your personal items, they say the front desk is happy to assist you,” Bagley notes. “Interesting. Actually, let me call and do that now.”
In the video description, she adds: “Tell me you want me to spend all my money without telling me…because leftovers…water!? Also, just put the items in a case…what if I couldn’t read!?”
People Offered Solutions
Some commenters were helpful.
“You can ask then to remove the items from the room,” one wrote.
“Tips from a local,” a second added. “Tell them to remove the honor bar items from your room entirely so you get the counter space without the worry & tell the front desk you have a medication that needs to stay cold. They’ll send you a mini fridge to your room.”
Others were baffled by the situation. “How would they know how long you touched it tho?” a third asked.
While a fourth said, “Vegas has changed tremendously in the past 15 years.”
Is This Common Across Hotels?
This kind of approach to amenities across hotels is becoming increasingly common. On his own trip to Las Vegas, TikToker Carwerks101 (@carwerks101) went viral after sharing similar signs he found in his own hotel.
“No way this just happened,” he said. He then pointed to a sign on top of the minibar among items like water bottles, candy, and even a “romance” kit.
“Automated minibar items moved or removed are billed immediately,” the sign reads. “Please contact front desk if you prefer minibar emptied. (Charge is applicable for this service).”
He then noted how he made the mistake of moving these items because he wanted to film a video. When he realized his mistake, he said, “I’ve got to call the front desk now.”
He directly tells the front desk: “Hi, I accidentally picked up a bunch of things in my room. And I don’t know if they got charged automatically.” The attendant ends up telling him to check if he gets charged when leaving the hotel, indicating that he’s off the hook.
“Yeah, just don’t touch things without an adult present,” he concluded.
@ebsknowsbest_ Tell me you want me to spend all my money without telling me…because leftovers…water!? Also, just put the items in a case…what if I couldn’t read!? 😭😵💫😩 #lasvegas #mandalaybay #hotels #minibar #fyp